Super excited to share a back of camera shot from a local client shoot this week!!
Friday Night Confessionals.... a tribute x
Friday Night Confessionals.......2021 International Women's Day
This year……ZOOM ruled
As International Women’s Day approached this year I had been spending this lockdown online studying my other passion, Yoga Teaching. The love and happiness that flowed out of the screens during class was phenomenal.
I pondered ways to celebrate and appreciate this when it occurred to me we were graduating the day before on March 7th so I asked if anyone would love to be involved and created the #choosetochallenge images for the IWD Gallery and some additional images for fun :-)
Totally amazed it worked and beyond thrilled these amazing souls below were up to experiment and see what would happen, we laughed A LOT and created some beautiful images. Thank You everyone xx My heart is FULL xx
Friday Night Confessionals......F.I.L.M
Ok ok so I’m actually a bit more than delighted by these FILM photos, the lushness of the colours and the detail in each image is filling me up! ALSO important to mention I had to send the colour film away to @westendcameras for them to develop and I’ve been wondering how this test roll was going to turn out!!
I’m so happy because the camera #pentaxmesuper hadn’t been used since 1983 + the #Fuji film was 5 years out of date lol
It felt pretty special to be carrying and photographing with my Grandads camera - he loved nature and flowers and has the most epic macro lens I am excited to try next!!! He passed when I was 7 + I was very much banned from going anywhere near his darkroom BUT I was allowed (lol) to be infront of the lens + we have numerous photos of me sitting for his pictures. Fun memories and incredibly special to all these years later be taking his camera for a walk and using it myself.
I have specific ideas for this camera and as a test roll I’m excited to explore this further, especially with such richness in the colours + as natures evolves towards spring ❤️💕❤️ Happy Friday y’all xx #filmisalive #britishphotographer #filmphotographer #fujifilmsuperia200
Friday night Confessionals….For the love of Peonies
Juicy Fridays….
Hi!! How is everyone doing?? February already and I’ve been armpit deep in training since the beginning of the year, which has been amazing and super intense, a part of me wondered why this was such a great idea during a pandemic lol but this quote from it has really resonated
‘Ironed out in the FIRE’
YES! So today, rain outside, a need within to be creative, so many ideas brewing and a pot of delicious gold paint calling….
Ahaaaaaa……Oh I’m super excited I had the chance to explore something that’s been tickling me for about a week but I hadn’t had the chance to act on it until, the tickle got too much today and I busted out my art box, brushes, paints, peony images, lay newspaper down and tapped my imagination.
Different brush sizes and textures later I started adding gold shimmer to a test image from my Peony portfolio : luscious fine art paper!! I’ve lots more exploration but I’m excited by this start :-)
Here’s to creative weekends ahead!! Have a great one!! x
Friday Night Confessionals - first of 2021!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Wishing you all a peaceful, safe and happy year ahead xx
After my morning walk and coffee this morning I made a short video of my NEW 2021 Calendars and I am thrilled to share it here too!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJgQDErB8lR/
I collated the beautiful Peony images I created in Lockdown 1 last year to produce a gorgeous calendar and I am super thrilled to share fine art prints from the series will be available soon too!
Last night as I pondered the previous 12 months and reflected upon my photo clients and the sessions I had captured, I wistfully remembered a time when marriage proposals would book end each year and just what a high it is to end and begin each year with the pleasure an joy of capturing these incredible moments. JUST as I was reminiscing a Blog post popped up from Flytographer with their Top 30 Proposals of 2020 and I was BEYOND THRILLED to be included with this fun proposal of Christine + Ann Marie back in earl yMarch <3
Happy January everyone, here’s to a peaceful year ahead xx
Friday Night Confessionals….surprises all round!
This week!! WOWZERS
I had completely forgotten about this amazing interview!!! SO beyond thrilled to share this article on my lockdown project!!!
Community Hero’s - A Lockdown photo project
Lockdown Photo Project, Jackie King, Community Spirit, Judith
Read MoreFriday Night Confessionals….it’s 9pm… where did today go?
I’m writing this wondering quite where this week flew to?
Just a short ditty this evening :-) I’ve kept up my twice daily walks taking in the early morning bird song - bliss, rolling fields, peace and fresh air + loved pottering around my garden, dead heading my fucias, tending to the gooseberries, cucumber + tomatoes in between work.
It has felt slightly unnerving seeing so many people around as I rejoin society and in the heat of Thursday my mask became a sauna - very good for the skin I’m sure!! Lol
So as this week draws out and the weekend begins I want to wish you all a wonderful sunny one xx
Weekend confessionals - raw imagery
Lockdown diaries / keeping sane in the time of COVID
OK so believe me when I say THESE ARE NOT the finished article, they are a work in progress and proof of a ‘breakthrough’ (small gains)
I’m not the kind of person to share something until the journey is complete and you can look back and reflect, order the highs and lows and make sense of the process but here I find myself sharing this work in its raw form for the reason that I am relieved to ACTUALLY SEE SOMETHING
It’s been weird and strange not photographing clients and so to keep my sanity I started photographing my daily walk. I dug out my Hasselblad and loaded it with film, I made a photo diary of developing + re acquainting myself with a process I hadn’t touched in years and then I hit a wall. My scanner didn’t scan 120 negs, I couldn’t ‘see’ what I was shooting, I felt blind. Unsure my light meter, camera, self was working. I’m a problem solver but I was stumped. I sat on the problem searching for a solution wanting desperately to see.
Tonight after trying, frustratedly giving up, talking to one of my oldest friends and then trying again I FINALLY SAW SOMETHING!
My film negs taped to my window shot on my phone, twisted in some weird app I see the community I have been capturing, the souls who have tirelessly worked to keep life going.
The teachers at the local primary school preparing for two year groups to return
Wendy from Porters who has worked relentlessly throughout
Judith a student of mine who has made scrubs for the local hospital
Simon who turned a tea room into a general store for his village + many more + One day I’ll see them all
Friday afternoon confessionals......
TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!
NEW WEBSITE
Hi Everyone!!
How you are all doing? Happy Friday xx
Sooo after about 10 days of lock down within lockdown where I pined myself to my office chair and designed, un did, redesigned and adjusted, I am thrilled to share my new look, updated website!!
www.jackieking.com
HEAD SHOTS WEDDINGS FAMILIES PRODUCTS EVENTS
Please let me know what you think!!
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 2
JULY 1st 2020 Back at ya photographing!!
So as lockdown eases, mask, hand sanitiser + camera in hand I will be back photographing again - HORAH!
The first couple weeks I will be social distancing with pre booked clients who were moved due to lockdown then from mid July onwards I am taking bookings for outdoor family sessions so please email me or call to book your dates.
I‘m super excited to see you all again and start capturing your summer sessions,
Happy Friday! Hugs Jackie xx
#BlackOutTuesday
I’d like to take a moment to share my post from instagram on Wednesday and to honour the events of the last 10 days.
Adding to the great suggestions by ElleUSA, I’d like to share the author I have always loved reading ‘James Baldwin’. I started about 20 years ago with Giovanni’s Room and my addiction to his writing went from there. He is an incredible writer and there is also a film ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ which he started before his passing + is described as
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of this manuscript. Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. This became I Am Not Your Negro.
Also a favourite of mine on instagram is @AlexElle who always brightens my feed with inspiring quotes and posts and if you missed the news interview with Spike Lee earlier in the week see it here
If you have suggestions you’d like to share too, please let me know x
Represented by....
The BIGDAY Film Collective, NYC
A selection of my film work is represented by BIG DAY Film photographers for art buyers and collectors and can be viewed by clicking the link or image here
Friday afternoon confessionals..............
So I’m standing in the queue at Sainsbury’s writing this trying to utilise the time - I could wile away the (insert minutes/hours) but I’d rather not. When the productivity or inspiration hits I have found I have to act!
Fortunately I haven’t had to line up like this before - snaking around the car park, pausing at upturned box markers. I actually haven’t seen this many people in one place for over 44 days. It feels a bit weird.
Soooo this week, just like last seems to have whipped by in a flash- it’s been intersected by rain, the odd look at the news + punctuated with power surges of productivity that I’ve been shocked by and had to rest from afterwards, funny ol business lockdown.
I’ve swung from missing hugging people (I’m a hugger) to considering I might not even want to leave the house when this is over let alone squeeze my friends in delight. Perhaps my hugging personality trait will be defunked post lockdown. I’m going to ponder on that……
This Friday I just wanted to check in, see how everyone is doing, connect, smile + say ‘Hi’ :-) I’m sharing a couple images here from my week, the top one - a snippet of a hidden corner of London <3 swoon the neon sign and moodyness!! The second a project from my garden and the debris I collected whilst tidying it up a couple weeks ago, it’s amazing what you ‘see’ when you actually look!
So I hope whatever you’re up to this evening you’re enjoying yourselves, stay safe, stay home, BIG (virtual) HUGS xx
I feel like this is important to share x
I’ve had a couple of posts pop up on my Instagram feeds today + they’ve really resonated (as I’m sure they will with everyone) + I felt it important to share xx
Keep navigating as best you can, keep on keeping on ❤️
Friday Afternoon Confessionals.....
Two weeks ago I landed in Boston, One week ago I landed back in London, when things move rapidly, all we can do is hang on and try our best to navigate the ride!
This afternoon as I write this, looking out at the sunshine, blue sky and peacefulness, I am 100% sure everyone everywhere is still feeling the surreal-ness of the situations we are adjusting to - I’m not going to harness that, instead I’m sharing my trip back to Maine, the walks I took in nature + the portraits at a distance I created + a couple of shots from my phone of the amazing colours I’m seeing on my daily walks x
So Maine, my spiritual haven, hmmm perhaps better to say my photographic haven where the photo magic first happened. A workshop back at my old school with my fabulous professor learning carbon transfer printing.
All the info I had read ahead of class told me just how tricky it was - AND IT IS!! BUT it was also really wonderful to be connecting with the photographic process and craft back in the dark room after quite a long time away. I used one of my images of one of my brides + for a first attempt it has encouraged me to experiment further when the time is right and to take this process and see where it takes me…….
This trip also enabled me to get back in to deep nature and embrace the sea air and sunsets!!! The light has always been magical in Maine and now home on my evening walks I am also seeing slithers of it here too :-)
I also had EVERY INTENTION of continuing my International Women’s Day project photographing friends and I people I knew with the theme ‘friendship’ . With lock down swift in America I respectfully kept my distance from the two ladies I had the opportunity to photograph and above is ‘Pam’ my airbnb host. When I return I’ll photograph the others I didn’t catch on this trip :-) but it was great to even capture these!!
And so to home. Just on my iphone but maybe I’m being more vigilant, a bit more aware of my surroundings but I am loving the colours that are appearing in the evenings, soft tones and hues, pastels and patches of light highlighting the landscape that would in the past not necessarily caught my attention…..maybe I brought a bit of the magic back with me…stay safe + healthy everyone!! xx
International Women's Day 2020
Celebrating ‘Friendship’
March 2020
I couldn’t let this year pass without celebrating - every year I capture portraits of women which then become an exhibition with the idea of inspiring younger generations.
This year the arts project in Croydon is taking a break + I thought it would be great to do something a little more casual with the end results being shared online during the day of International Women’s Day. I set about thinking of friends who work in central London so I could be in one spot and it wouldn’t be too tricky for them to come to me with the theme ‘friendship’ + ask them for their own interpretation, feeling, word, colour - whatever it was that resonates with them.
so Friday 6th these gorgeous ladies below swung by for chatter, tea, pictures + let me take their photo.
I also had in my mind that I’m trying something new….challenging myself + stepping out of my comfort zone to shoot in a different way, to step back slightly, to allow the images to sit together, to continue for the month of March, to include portraits where the sitter isn’t smiling - I CANNOT even BEGIN to tell you HOW HARD that was!!! + produce a lovely project + as it turned out, was a very poignant theme.
Above a screen shot of my final selection of images, Below the final cut (or so I thought!)
I loved how everyone’s response was very different.
I wanted to bring people together with this project, to share their individual interpretation of “friendship” + to create portraits where I challenged myself in the image making. I am really good at getting right up close to people and in to their space to capture their essence + to be honest this has turned in to a process of challenging normality for me, for sitting on my own hands when I wanted to move in closer or select the happiest photo in the selection + publish on socials only my finely curated selection of happy.
What transpired was me forcing myself to choose images I loved but were perhaps a little more sullen than my usual work. Not soley to challenge myself but to look at the images with a different perspective, a different vantage point. That in itself challenged me to let go and reconnect to being happy with the images myself, whichever ones I chose + trusting the ‘process’.
It’s also been about a conversation Tanya and I had about the viewers experience and ‘seeing’ as the artist or photographer was at the precise moment in time and layering on top of that what we bring in the form of our own interpretation/feelings/emotions/life events to any art at any given moment.
My normal way of working is interacting, observing, creating ease between me, my camera and my sitter, recording just the right representation that I see in any given moment that I feel is an accurate representation of them - on Friday, I stepped back, I deliberately created space to see if it impacted the images I created, if it brought something else forward. So a project based on friendship and exploring how we see.
It’s interesting that looking through the selected images of each of my friends , the versatility of their emotions and our conversation serves as a great mixture to capture slightly different feelings in each picture + the selections below are to appease my controlling mind and show the fun we had!! :-) They also work really nicely as a set of images.
I’m continuing this project and excited to capture more friends through March - over on instagram you can also hear everyone’s interpretation of ‘friendship’ . Have a fab March + enjoy x
Dreaming of Spring….
I’ve been seeing a lot of posts this last week about how January was SUCH a long year lol they’ve been making me chuckle + have proven a good distraction - I felt like I hadn’t seen the sky in forever + this week, hey presto, a blast of blue!
It lifted my heart. There’s something quite wonderful about being totally bundled up and the sun shinning, the birds singing despite a chill in the air and not having to worry about being ‘battle ready’ when you walk out the door. Fighting through the elements just to get to work or anywhere + having a change of clothes with you in case you get soaked lol
ahh typical Brit yakking on about the weather!
well now, Feb 1st I expect a blast of snow and more chilly weather ahead before spring appears but until then I’ll be enjoying the snowdrops and daffodils even if from the comfort of my couch with a hot cuppa!
Happy February everyone! Here’s to a great month x
Keeping Warm in Winter!!
Happy Tuesday everyone!!
I am SO thrilled to share this awesome session with you from just before Christmas in South Kensington, London. We had perfect photo weather!!! A little overcast meant that the light was beautifully diffused + there were no harsh shadows going on :-)
In town celebrating their anniversary, Peyton + her husband chose this gorgeous route + we had a lot of funI For #vataionphotography I work with a company called #Flytographer - such a cool concept whether with friends, couples, families, solo travellers you can choose a photographer in their destination city + your holiday destination to capture your time and memories in a favourite part of town. South Kensington is one of my favourites, it’s buzzing and pretty at amy time of year but I really love the peacefulness of Winter and the colour pops of berries or decorations against the white wall buildings.
Enjoy + have a great evening! x
“Jackie was all around amazing. She was unbelievably flexible with the weather and truly went out of her way to bring our vision to life. Our anniversary photos will be something we cherish forever and we are so thankful to have had Jackie capture those memories for us. Her eye for photography and natural light are unparalleled. We couldn’t recommend her enough!”
Friday Night Confessionals
Friday turns in to Saturday
I had every intention to post last night, to sit down and enjoy writing about the week, Andrea + Wes’s beautiful proposal + finish off Friday, sunny side up - but when it came to it, words just weren’t there and I didn’t want to half ass it.
So here I am fresh as a daisy - Saturday morning after two photo sessions in London, sun is shinning + I’m heading home to my first Xmas party of the season! I’m very excited, it’s bowling and mince pies - what’s not to love!!
I worked with Wes to pick the perfect spot for him to propose to Andrea a few weeks ahead of their trip to London. We planned our interaction, me casually offering to take a photo of them and bosh, Wes got down on one knee and Hey Presto!
Following the shock, delight and utter happiness, we continued creating engagement pictures around St.Dunstans before walking along to The Tower of London + Tower Bridge where the light was super pretty (the north side of the river is always dreamy to photograph at in good weather as the sun rises the other side).
We found lots of fun doorways and textures to mid in with the epic iconic backdrops London has to offer and had so much fun!
If you’re planning a trip to London or a proposal over Christmas, do drop me a DM or call to discuss your plans and ideas + I’ll take it from there!
